1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to identification bands of the type which may be applied around the wrist or the ankle of a person, and to blanks for producing such bands. More particularly, the invention relates to identification bands suitable for use in hospitals or the like, the bands being applied to a patient upon admission to the hospital or like institution, and being worn for the duration of the patient's stay.
2. Description of the Related Art
The application of identification bands to the limbs of hospital patients is well known. The use of such bands is important to ensure that patients who are unconscious, or who are under sedation, or asleep, for example, can be properly identified in order to ensure that correct treatment and medication is given in such circumstances. Such bands may also be applied to new-borne babies for identification purposes.
Owing to the importance of such identification bands, the prior art bands have tended to be rather complex in structure in order to ensure that they are not easily removed, either accidentally or on purpose. As identification bands are generally formed of elongated strips of material whose free ends are joined together to produce a closed loop to encircle the wrist or ankle of a patient, the prior art bands have tended to comprise a complex arrangement of layers of material designed to resist tearing. Thus many of the known identification bands comprise a complex arrangement of overlapping layers of bonded material at the junction between the free ends of the strip of which the band is composed. Alternately, a single strip of material having adequate strength has been formed into a loop by the use of a metallic or similar clip which joins overlapping free ends, and which is normally applied by means of a special tool.
Apart from possible discomfort to the wearer of such prior art identification bands, and the complexity of their construction, one of the principal disadvantages of such bands is that they must be stored separately from conventional hospital admission forms, and consequently, identifying data applied to such bands must be applied in a step separate from the completion of the hospital admission form. In other words, it is normally necessary to first complete a hospital admission form in all applicable respects, then obtain a blank identification band, apply the relevant identifying data thereto, and subsequently apply the band to the patient. This inevitably involves some wastage of time in an area of the hospital where activity is particularly hectic and where there is frequently a need for speed and efficiency to ensure that patients are treated with all due dispatch. However, the principal concern is that the data on the identification band may not coincide with the information on the admission form where the two are completed separately. The data applied to the identification band may in fact be taken from the wrong admission form.